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Death & Dying

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"To accept death in order that the will of
God may be fulfilled, merits for us a reward similar to that of
the martyrs, because they accepted death to please God. He who
dies in union with the will of God makes a holy death; and the
more closely he is united to it, the more holy death he dies. The
Venerable Blosius declares that an act of perfect conformity to
the will of God at the hour of death not only delivers us from
Hell but also from Purgatory." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor
of the Church)

"Can. 1205 § 1 The corpses of the faithful
are to be buried in a cemetery that, according to the rites given
in the approved liturgical books, is blessed, either with a solemn
blessing or a simple one given by those mentioned in Canons 1155
and 1156. § 2 Corpses are not to be buried in churches, unless it
concerns the corpses or residential Bishops, or Abbots or Prelates
of no one, who are to be buried in their churches, or the Roman
Pontiff, or royal persons, or Cardinals of the H.R.C." (1917
Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1206 § 1 The Catholic Church has the
right of possessing her own cemeteries. § 2 Wherever this right
of the Church is violated and there is no hope that the violation
shall be repaired, local Ordinaries shall take care that
cemeteries, in their own civil societies, are blessed, if they are
so arranged that the majority [of corpses there] are of Catholics
or at least, if Catholics have a space therein, that the space
reserved for them is likewise blessed. § 3 If not even this can
be obtained, individual graves shall be blessed as often as [they
are used] according to the rites given in the approved liturgical
books." (1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1180 §1 If a parish has its own
cemetery, the deceased faithful are to be buried there, unless
another cemetery has lawfully been chosen by the deceased person,
or by those in charge of that person's burial. §2 All may,
however, choose their cemetery of burial unless prohibited by law
from doing so." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1240 §1 Where possible, the Church
is to have its own cemeteries, or at least an area in public
cemeteries which is duly blessed and reserved for the deceased
faithful. §2 If, however, this is not possible, then individual
graves are to be blessed in due form on each occasion." (1983
Code of Canon Law)

"As
Augustine says (De Cura Gerenda pro Mortuis iv), the devotion of
the faithful is not fruitless when they arrange for their friends
to be buried in holy places, since by so doing they commend their
dead to the suffrages of the saints" (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history
of the Church")

"Since
flesh is a part of man's nature, man has a natural affection for
his flesh, according to Ephesians 5:29, 'No man ever hated his own
flesh.' Hence in accordance with this natural affection a man has
during life a certain solicitude for what will become of his body
after death: and he would grieve if he had a presentiment that
something untoward would happen to his body. Consequently those
who love a man, through being conformed to the one they love in
his affection for himself, treat his body with loving care. For as
Augustine says (De Civitate Dei i,13): 'If a father's garment and
ring, and whatever such like is the more dear to those whom they
leave behind the greater their affection is towards their parents,
in no wise are the bodies themselves to be spurned which truly we
wear in more familiar and close conjunction than anything else we
put on.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"Although the place of burial evokes
sadness at parting with the earthly company of a brother or sister
in the Christian community, it is also a symbol of hope in God and
in His promise to raise our bodies in glory like the Risen Body of
His Son seated at His right hand. The place of burial is sacred,
for it receives the human body which has been a temple of the Holy
Spirit, the instrument by which the Christian soul expressed
itself in the world... What is more,
the body received by the grave or tomb in burial is destined for
resurrection on the Last Day. After the celebration of the Funeral
Mass or Funeral Liturgy with the body of the deceased present, the
body is interred or entombed in expectation of its resurrection on
the Last Day. Burial of the body of the deceased is done in
imitation of the burial of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the sure hope
of sharing in His Resurrection. Because of the central place which
care for the burial of the dead has in the life of faith, burying
the dead is one of the corporal works of mercy (Cf. Catechism of
the Catholic Church, No. 2447). The Catechism of the Catholic
Church teaches us about respect for the body of the dead: The
bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in
faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a
corporal work of mercy; it honors the children of God, who are
temples of the Holy Spirit. (No. 2300) The love which we are
called to show to one another in life continues in death through
our reverent burial of the dead and our prayers for their eternal
rest. The carrying out of the rites of Christian burial is one of
the principal works of the parish priest who with 'generous love' is
'to help the sick, particularly
those close to death, by refreshing them solicitously with the
sacraments and commending their souls to God.' (Can. 529, § 1; cf. 530, no. 5) The body of the deceased
Christian is either buried in the ground (interment) or entombed
in a mausoleum (entombment). Both interment and entombment
symbolize the placing of the body in a sacred place while it
awaits the resurrection on the Last Day." (On the
Christian Burial of the Dead, Bishop Raymond L. Burke/La
Crosse)

"The word which early Christians gave to
the place for the burial or entombment of the dead, cemetery,
comes from the Greek word for dormitory. It expresses the belief
of the Christian that the bodies of the dead rest in their place
of burial or entombment until the resurrection of the body on the
Last Day. Like the Christian grave or tomb, the Catholic cemetery
is sacred and is to be maintained accordingly. In the Catholic
cemetery, the ground is blessed for the purpose of burials. The
Church has a special rite for the blessing of a cemetery, which is
to be properly documented. (Cf. Can. 1208) Church law requires
that, when possible, the Church have its own cemeteries or, at
least, a part of the civil cemetery designated for Catholic
burials. (Cf. Can. 1240, § 1) If it is not possible to inter or
entomb the dead in a Catholic cemetery or a Catholic section of a
public cemetery, in which the ground or tomb is already blessed,
then the individual grave or tomb is to be blessed during the rite
of committal. (Cf. Can. 1240, § 2) The Order of Christian
Funerals provides distinct prayers for the committal of the mortal
remains in each situation. (Cf. OCF, No. 218) The Church cares for
her cemeteries in perpetuity even if the parish which established
the cemetery no longer exists. In the case of the suppression of a
parish with its proper cemetery, the care of the cemetery is
assigned to the pastor and faithful of a neighboring parish. The
perpetual care funds of the cemetery remain inviolate and are
administered so that they may provide for the ongoing maintenance
of the cemetery. The cemetery retains its own committee or
association which is governed by proper statutes. The Catholic
cemetery is arranged and adorned in a way which expresses the
truth about death and the resurrection of the body. The direct
care of the cemetery by the Church permits a strong witness to the
Christian belief regarding death and provides the opportunity for
the Church to carry out, to the fullest extent possible, her
responsibilities toward the dead. The Catholic cemetery offers a
permanent invitation to reflect upon death as the gateway to
eternal life." (On the
Christian Burial of the Dead, Bishop Raymond L. Burke/ La
Crosse)

"Do you think that if something be
withdrawn from your feeble eyes, it perishes to God?" [Minucius
Felix (early Christian apologist), 3rd century A.D.]

"If thou grievest for the dead,
mourn also for those who are born into the world; for as
the one thing is of nature, so is the other too of nature." (St.
John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, 4th century A.D.)

"We must accept our own death, and that of
our relations, when God shall send it to us, and not desire it at
any other time; for it is sometimes necessary that it should
happen at that particular moment, for the good of our own and
their souls." (St. Philip Neri)

"Our brethren who are freed from this world
by the Lord's summons are not to be mourned, since we know that
they are not lost to us, but only sent on ahead of us. Departing
from us, they precede us as travelers, just as navigators are
accustomed to do." (St. Cyprian of Carthage)

"The accidents of life separate us from our
dearest friends, but let us not despair. God is like a looking
glass in which souls see each other. The more we are united to Him
by love, the nearer we are to those who belong to Him." (St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton)

"Strangers as we are and pilgrims on the
earth, let us fix our hearts and our thoughts on the day which
will give to each of us a home, and restore us to paradise. Who,
that is on a voyage, would not hasten to return to his country!
Who, that is on the way home, would not eagerly desire a favorable
wind, that he might the sooner embrace his dear ones! Parents,
brothers, children, friends in multitudes impatiently await us in
our heavenly fatherland; blessed crowd! Already secure of their
own eternal happiness, they are solicitous about our salvation.
What joy for them and for us, when at length we see them and they
may embrace us!" (St. Cyprian)

"A great mystery is accomplished in our
dead. A mystery of praise and of joy, when, summoned by the King
of kings, the soul goes to meet her Lord, accompanied by angels
sent from heaven for the purpose! And thou - dost thou lament?
When the bridegroom to whom thou hast given thy daughter carries
her to a far country, thou dost not complain, provided he makes
her happy; although her absence is a grief to thee, the sadness is
tempered. And now, because it is not a man, a fellow-slave, but
the Lord Himself that claims one of thy family, is thy grief to be
without measure? I do not forbid thee to shed a tear; weep, but be
not disconsolate even as others who have no hope. And be ready
also to return thanks, as is meet; honoring thereby thy dead, as
well as glorifying God, and thus giving them magnificent
obsequies." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)

"Why should you grieve, if you do not
believe he has perished? Why should you bear impatiently the
temporary withdrawal of one whom you believe will return? That
which you think is death is only a departure. He that goes before
us is not to be mourned, though of course he may be longed for.
But even that longing must be tempered with patience. Why should
you bear immoderately the departure of one whom you will soon
follow? Besides impatience in such matters bodes ill of our hope,
makes lie of our faith and we wound Christ when we do not accept
with equanimity the summoning of any by
Him, as if they were to be pitied. 'I desire,' says the Apostle,
'to be taken now and to be with the Lord.' How better is the
desire he expresses! If we grieve impatiently when others have
obtained the desire of Christians, we show ourselves unwilling to
obtain it." [Tertullian ("an excellent early Christian writer" - although he would ultimately fall into heresy), 3rd century A.D.]

"Cease now each sad complaint; ye mothers,
check, your tears; let no man mourn the pledges he has given: for
this death is the restoration of life. What mean these sculptured
marbles, and these fair monuments, save that what is committed to
them is not dead, but laid to sleep? For this body, which we see
lying lifeless, yet a little while and it will seek once more the
companionship of the spirit that has fled on high. Quickly shall
the time come, when friendly life shall make these cold embers
glow; and, animating them with circling blood, shall take back her
former dwelling. The motionless corpses, that have lain corrupting
in their graves, shall be caught up into the swift air, united to
the same souls as before. Even thus do the dry seeds, dead and
buried, become green blades; and, springing up from the sward,
recall the former ears. Receive no, O earth, this deposit into thy
care, and cherish it in thy tender bosom: 'tis the form of a man I
place in thee, noble remains I entrust to thee. This was once the
home of a spirit breathed from the mouth of its Creator; Christ
ruled these members, and his holy wisdom dwelt therein. Then
shelter the body confided to thee: he who made it will not forget
it, but will ask back the gifts he had given, and the likeness of
his own countenance. Soon the promised time will come, when God
shall fulfill all hope; then thou must needs open thy bosom, and
restore this form such as I give it thee. Amen." (Hymn,
Octave of All Saints)

"That death is not to be judged an evil
which is the end of a good life; for death becomes evil only by
the retribution which follows it. They, then, who are destined to
die, need not be careful to inquire what death they are to die,
but in what place death will usher them." (St. Augustine,
Doctor of the Church)

"How consoling it is to see a just man die!
His death is good, because it ends his miseries; it is better
still, because he begins a new life; it is excellent, because it
places him in sweet security. From this bed of mourning, whereon
he leaves a precious load of virtues, he goes to take possession
of the true land of the living, Jesus acknowledges him as His
brother and as His friend, for he has died to the world before
closing his eyes from its dazzling light. Such is the death of the
saints, a death very precious in the sight of God. But, on the
other hand, see how shocking is the death of the wicked. The least
evil is the loss of all the good things of this world; the
separation of body and soul is more dreadful still, but the worst
of all is the devouring flame, the gnawing worm that never
dies." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church)

"As the lot of the reprobate is to die in
sin, that of the elect is to expire in the love and grace of God,
which is effected in several ways. Many of the saints died, not
only in the state of charity, but in the actual exercise of divine
love. St. Augustine expired in making an act of contrition, which
cannot exist without love; St. Jerome, in exhorting his disciples
to charity and the practice of all virtues; St. Ambrose, in
conversing sweetly with his Savior, whom he had received in the
Holy Eucharist; St. Antony of Padua also expired in the act of
discoursing with our Divine Lord, after having recited a hymn in
honor of the ever-glorious Virgin; St. Thomas of Aquinas, with his
hands clasped, his eyes raised to heaven, and pronouncing these
words of the Canticles, which were the last he had expounded:
'Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field' (Cant. vii.
II). All the apostles, and the greater number of the martyrs, died
in prayer. Venerable Bede, having learned the hour of his death by
revelation, went to the choir at the usual hour to sing the
evening office, it being the feast of the Ascension, and at the
very moment he had finished singing vespers he expired, following
his Guide and Master into Heaven, to celebrate His praises in that
abode of rest and happiness, round which the shades of night can
never gather, because it is illumined by the brightness of the
eternal day, which neither dawns nor ends...The fervor and ardor
of St. Martin at the hour of his death are remarkable. St. Louis,
who has proved himself as great a monarch among the saints as an
eminent saint among kings, being attacked by the plague, ceased
not to pray, and after receiving the viaticum, he extended his
arms in the form of a cross, fixed his eyes on heaven, and,
animated with love and confidence, expired in saying with the
Psalmist: 'I will come into Thy house, O Lord; I will worship
towards Thy holy temple, in Thy fear' (Ps. 5: 8). St. Peter
Celestine, after having endured the most cruel and incredible
afflictions, seeing the end of his days approach, began to sing
like the swan, and terminated his song with his life, by these
words of the last Psalm: 'Let every spirit praise the Lord' (Ps.
150: 5). St. Eusebia, surnamed the Stranger, died kneeling in
fervent prayer. St. Peter the Martyr yielded his last sigh in
writing (with his finger, which he had dipped in his blood) the
articles of the faith for which he sacrificed his life, and in
saying: ' Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit' (Ps. 30:
6). The great apostle of the Indies and Japan, St. Francis Xavier,
expired holding a crucifix, which he tenderly embraced, and
incessantly repeated in transports of love, ' O Jesus! the God of
my heart!'" (St. Francis De Sales, Doctor of the Church)

"Such is the death of the
saints, a death very precious in the sight of God. But, on the
other hand, see how shocking is the death of the wicked. The least
evil is the loss of all the good things of this world; the
separation of body and soul is more dreadful still, but the worst
of all is the devouring flame, the gnawing worm that never
dies." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church)

"Can.
1204 Ecclesiastical burial consists in the transfer of the corpse
to a church, the funeral services [that are] celebrated over it in
same, and its deposition in a place legitimately deputed for
laying down the faithful departed." (1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1215 Unless grave cause prevents, the
bodies of the faithful, before they are buried, are to be
transferred from the place in which they rest to a church, where
funeral rites, that is, all of the order of burial that is
described in the approved liturgical books, are conducted."
(1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Canon 1218 § 3 Although transfer to the
church of funeral or burial [may be] inconvenient, nevertheless,
it is always basic that the family, heirs, or other interested
persons can carry the corpse to it, having taken up the expenses
of the transfer." (1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Can.
1223 It is permitted to all, unless they are expressly prohibited
by law, to choose the church of funeral and the cemetery of
burial. § 2 A wife and pubescent children are entirely immune in
this selection from the power of the husband and parents."
(1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1235 § 1 It is strictly prohibited
for anyone, for the sake of burial or funeral services or on the
anniversary of death, to require anything beyond that which is
established in the index or diocesan rates. § 2 The poor are
entirely free [of the obligation of paying] and should decently
receive funerals with prescribed services and burial according to
liturgical laws and diocesan statues." (1917 Code of Canon
Law)

"Can. 1239 § 1 Those who die without
baptism are not to be accorded ecclesiastical burial. § 2
Catechumens who through no fault of their own die without baptism
are to be reckoned as baptized. § 3 All baptized are to be given
ecclesiastical burial unless they are expressly deprived of same
by law." (1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1240 § 1 Unless they gave before
death a sign of repentance, the following are deprived of
ecclesiastical burial: 1° Notorious apostates from the Christian
faith, or those who notoriously gave their name to heretical sects
or schismatic or Masonic sects, or other societies of this sort;
2° Excommunicates or those under interdict after a condemnatory
or declaratory sentence; 3° Those who killed themselves by
deliberate counsel; 4° Those who died in a duel, or from wounds
related thereto; 5° Those who ordered that their body be handed
over for cremation; 6° Other public and manifest sinners. § 2 If
there is any doubt about the occurrence of the above-mentioned in
a case, the Ordinary is to be consulted if there is time; if doubt
remains, the body should be accorded ecclesiastical burial, but in
such a way that scandal is removed." (1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1241 One excluded from ecclesiastical
burial is also to be denied any funeral Mass, even on the
anniversary, as well as other public funeral offices." (1917
Code of Canon Law)

"Can.
2339 Whoever dares to order or force the ecclesiastical burial of infidels, apostates from
the faith, or heretics, schismatics, or others, whether
excommunicated or interdicted, against the prescriptions of Canon
1240, § 1, contracts automatic excommunication reserved to no
one; but those giving them burial on their own [contract]
interdict from entering churches reserved to the Ordinary."
(1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1176 §1 Deceased members of the
Christian faithful must be given ecclesiastical funerals according
to the norm of law." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1177 §1 The funeral of any deceased
member of the faithful should normally be celebrated in the church
of that person's proper parish. §2 However, any member of the
faithful, or those in charge of the deceased person's funeral, may
choose another church; this requires the consent of whoever is in
charge of that church and a notification to the proper parish
priest of the deceased. §3 When death has occurred outside the
person's proper parish, and the body is not returned there, and
another church has not been chosen, the funeral rites are to be
celebrated in the church of the parish where the death occurred,
unless another church is determined by particular law." (1983
Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1181 The provisions of Can. 1264 are
to be observed in whatever concerns the offerings made on the
occasion of funerals. Moreover, care is to be taken that at
funerals there is to be no preference of persons, and that the
poor are not deprived of proper funeral rites." (1983 Code of
Canon Law)

"Can. 1182 When the burial has been
completed, a record is to be made in the register of deaths
according to the norm of particular law." (1983 Code of Canon
Law)

"Can.
1184 §1 Church funeral rites are to be denied to the following,
unless they gave some signs of repentance before death: 1°
notorious apostates, heretics and schismatics; 2° those who for
anti-Christian motives chose that their bodies be cremated; 3°
other manifest sinners to whom a Church funeral could not be
granted without public scandal to the faithful. §2 If any doubt
occurs, the local Ordinary is to be consulted and his judgement
followed." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"Can. 1185 Any form of funeral Mass is also
to be denied to a person who has been excluded from a Church
funeral." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"382. At the Funeral Mass there should, as a rule,
be a short homily, but never a eulogy of any kind." [General
Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), 2003 A.D.]

"Today,
it sometimes happens that the family of a very elderly relative
who has few or no surviving relatives and friends decides that,
since probably only a few of the faithful will participate in the
Funeral Mass, it should be eliminated from the funeral rites. This
is certainly erroneous thinking. First of all, no matter how few
faithful participate in the Mass, it remains the solemn and
efficacious prayer of the whole Church on behalf of the dead
person, the Church's way of bringing to reverent burial her
deceased member." (On the
Christian Burial of the Dead, Bishop Raymond L. Burke/ La
Crosse)

"[This holy Synod] declares and teaches,
that our most gracious Redeemer, - who would have his servants at
all times provided with salutary remedies against all the weapons
of all their enemies, - as, in the other sacraments, He prepared
the greatest aids, whereby, during life, Christians may preserve
themselves whole from every more grievous spiritual evil, so did
He guard the close of life, by the sacrament of Extreme Unction,
as with a most firm defense. For though our adversary seeks and
seizes opportunities, all our life long, to be able in any way to
devour our souls; yet is there no time wherein he strains more
vehemently all the powers of his craft to ruin us utterly, and, if
he can possibly, to make us fall even from trust in the mercy of
God, than when he perceives the end of our life to be at
hand." (Council of Trent)

"Fear of death is for those who aren't
willing to go to Christ." (St. Cyprian of Carthage)

"If we fear death before it comes, we shall
conquer it when it comes." (Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of the
Church)

"The foolish fear death as the greatest of
evils, the wise desire it as a rest after labors and the end of
ills." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)

"Fear of death is a property of nature due
to disobedience, but terror of death is a sign of unrepented
sins." (St. John Climacus)

"There is nothing dreadful in that [death]
which delivers from all that is to be dreaded." [Tertullian ("an excellent early Christian writer" - although he would ultimately fall into heresy), 3rd century A.D.]

"What is death at most? It is a journey for
a season: a sleep longer than usual. If thou fearest death, thou
shouldst also fear sleep." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the
Church, 4th century
A.D.)

"St. Augustine says that he who fears death
does not love God; that is very true. If you had been long
separated from your Father, would you not be happy to see him
again?" (St. John Vianney)

"Therefore, brethren, as the Lord said, let
us not fear those who kill the body. Or, they do not annihilate
that life, but merely pull it down while they are changing it from
temporary life unto something everlasting." (St. Peter
Chrysologus, Doctor of the Church)

"It is not Death that will come to fetch
me, it is the good God. Death is no phantom, no horrible specter,
as presented in pictures. In the catechism it is stated that death
is the separation of soul and body, that is all! Well, I am not
afraid of a separation which will unite me to the good God
forever." (St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church)

"I find that the saints have trembled at
the hour of death; how much more ought I to tremble! I answer: Is
it true that Hell does not cease to assail even the saints at
death, but it is also true that God does not cease to assist his
servants at that moment; and when the dangers are increased, he
multiplies his help." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the
Church)

"[F]or death scares only those who are
still in a state of sin, not those who, like St. Paul, desire to
die and be with Christ, or lament with Job that their days are
prolonged, much as they long to depart. Indeed, were you a man
such as I should wish to see you, the heaviest cross you could
bear would be the powerlessness to die for Christ" (St.
Robert Southwell)

"Having thus called upon His disciples to
deny themselves and take up their cross, the hearers were filled
with great terror, therefore these severe tidings are followed by
more joyful; For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his
Father with the holy Angels. Do you fear death? Hear the glory of
the triumph. Do you dread the cross? Hear the attendance of the
Angels." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"It is marvelous that, after so long, our
imaginations should still be so tormented and oppressed by the
thought of death; that we should still be so without understanding
that we think it morbid to be in love with death, for it is far
more morbid to be in fear of it. It is not that our reason or our
faith are at fault; it is only that that most active and untamable
faculty of ours, which we call imagination, has not yet
assimilated the truth, accepted by both our faith and our reason,
that for those who are in the friendship of God death is simply
not at all which it is to others. It does not, as has been said,
end our lives or our interest; on the contrary, it liberates and
fulfills them." (Benson)

"Of all the things of life, a happy death
is our principal concern. For if we attain that, it matters little
if we lose all the rest. But if we do not attain that, nothing
else is of any value." (Bl. Juniperro Serra)

"What he
dieth, that must he be forever; as
the tree falleth, so must it lie." (Cardinal Newman)

"If we were required to die twice, we could
jettison one death. But man dies once only, and upon this death
depends his eternity. Where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
If, at the hour of death, someone is living in bad habit, the poor
soul will fall on the side of hell. If, on the other hand, he is
in the state of grace, it will take the road for heaven. Oh, happy
road!" (St. John Vianney)

"But
let everyone know that whenever or however a person dies in mortal
sin without making amends when he could have done so and did not,
the devil snatches up his soul out of his body with so much
anguish and tribulation that no one can know it unless he has
experienced it." (St. Francis of Assisi)

"There was never anyone more beloved by
God, nor anyone more despised by men than Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified by his own people. Notice the gratitude that the
world shows him in return for all of his extraordinary deeds and
miracles. He is put to death as if he were the worst of thieves
and dies as the poorest of men. He does not die in a comfortable
feather bed, but on the hard wood of the Cross; not in a house or
under a protecting roof, but in the open air, in a frightfully
foul place; not in a private room, but publicly on a Cross; not in
the company of his disciples, but between two thieves; not in the
arms of his loving Mother, but between those of a tall Cross. He
did not even have a few handfuls of straw beneath him, nor over
him a covering of the poorest linen. He had no pillow for his
head, but a crown of sharp thorns instead. There were no sandals
on his feet nor gloves on his hands, but as substitutes he had
iron nails that pierced through his flesh and bones. In this dire
distress of his, there was no one to minister to him, but an
impenitent thief at his side, a degenerate criminal, who showered
him with shameful insults. There was no one to console him...He
could move neither hand nor foot, nor turn on his side - he found
no relief for his body's pain, not even in the slightest. He
remained immobile, stretched to the straining point, every organ
dreadfully distended. No one there tried to console him. No one
thought of helping him. No one was interested in him... There
remained only his tongue that he could use. He prayed for his
enemies" (Thomas a Kempis)

"For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, (for) that is far better. Yet that I remain (in) the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. And this I know with confidence, that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me when I come to you again."
(Phil. 1:21-26)

"Jesus, destroy this chain of a body, for I
shall never be content until my soul can fly to you. When shall I
be completely blessed in you?" (St. Gemma Galgani)

"Death, my sister, if you do not open the
gate to me, I cannot enter to enjoy my God." (St. Alphonsus
Liguori, Doctor of the Church)

"The foolish fear death as the greatest of
evils, the wise desire it as a rest after labors and the end of
ills." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)

"You should carry the passion of God in
your hearts, for it is man's consolation in his last hour."
(St. Nicholas of Flue)

"He will not taste death forever who in his dying
moments has recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary." (Pope Pius
XI)

"At death, the Devil exerts all his powers
to secure the soul that is about to leave this world; for he
knows, from the symptoms of the disease, that he has but little
time to gain her for eternity." (St. Alphonsus Liguori,
Doctor of the Church)

"Lord, remember me in your kingdom. Do not
abandon me at death's fearful moment, when my strength begins to
leave me, when my voice becomes only a whisper, when my sight
grows dim and my hearing almost nil. At that moment, good Jesus,
come to my aid; send your holy angels to comfort me in my agony
and may the hateful enemy, who subtly awaits my final hour, not
prevail over me." (Thomas a Kempis)

"Still more pernicious is the language
addressed sometimes by friends and relations to a person suffering
with a mortal disease and on the point of death, when they assure
him that there is no danger of dying, telling him to be of good
spirits, dissuading him from confession, as though the very
thought should fill him with melancholy, and finally withdrawing
his attention from all care and thought of the dangers which beset
him in the last perilous hour." (Catechism of the Council of
Trent)

"If the devil tries to terrorize you, invoke the name of
Jesus and raise the standard of the holy Cross. If he counters by
narrating your many sins and past misdeeds, then respond by
reciting the infinite merits of Christ. Also remember the seven
words Jesus spoke from the Cross for your instruction... [W]hen
you are about to depart this world, you are not to be remiss in
voicing and frequently repeating the words of his final
commendation ("Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"). You will find at the end that there are none more
meaningful than these." (Thomas a Kempis)

"At the time of death, the priest should be
called to pray for the dying person and to celebrate the
Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist in the form of Viaticum.
The Roman Ritual contains a special section, Pastoral Care of the
Dying (Part II of Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing
and Viaticum), to direct the priest and the other faithful in
assisting spiritually the dying person. The Roman Ritual indicates
the distinct purpose of this special section: The ministry to the
dying places emphasis on trust in the Lord's promise of eternal
life rather than on the struggle against illness which is
characteristic of the pastoral care of the sick. (Pastoral Care of
the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum, 1983 ed., No. 161) Care
should be taken to call upon the ministry of the priest in a
timely manner, not waiting until the moment of death. The greatest
help to the dying person is the prayer of the Church and, most of
all, the reception of the Holy Eucharist as Viaticum, the
spiritual food for the journey from this life to the life which is
to come. If the person has already died, the priest should also be
called to offer the Church's prayers for the dead and to bless the
body. (Cf. Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and
Viaticum, Nos. 223-231)" (On the
Christian Burial of the Dead, Bishop Raymond L. Burke/ La
Crosse)

"I entrust you to God almighty, dearest
brother, and commit you to Him who created you, that when death
overtakes you and you pay the debt of mortal nature, you may
return to your Maker who formed you out of the earth. As your soul
departs from your body, may the shining cohorts of angels hasten
to greet you, the tribunal of apostles acquit you, the triumphant
ranks of white robed martyrs accompany you, the lily-bearing bands of
glorious confessors surround you, the choir of virgins bring up
your train with rejoicing, and in blest tranquilly may the
patriarchs receive you into their loving embrace. May our Lord
Jesus appear before you gentle and eager of countenance and assign
you a place amid those who stand in His presence forevermore. May
you never know the terror of darkness, hissing of flame, torment,
or torture. May the foul fiend and all his minions reel back at
your approach; as you advance encircled by angels, may he tremble
and flee into the monstrous chaos of eternal night. Let God arise
and let his enemies be scattered, and they that hate him flee
before his face. As smoke is driven away, so let them vanish, as
wax melts before the fire, so let sinners perish before God (Ps.
67). Let the legions of hell then be filled with confusion and
shame, and let not Satan's satellites presume to bar your course.
May Christ who suffered for you rescue you from punishment; may
Christ who was crucified for you deliver you from your cross; may
Christ who deigned to die for you redeem you from death. May
Christ he Son of the living God set you in His verdant paradise of
everlasting delight, and may the true Shepherd recognize you as a
sheep of His own flock. May He absolve you from all your sins and
haply appoint you to sit at His right hand in the company of His
elect. May you see your Redeemer face to face, and standing
evermore in His presence, gaze upon Eternal Truth revealed in all
its beauty to the eyes of the saints. Finally, may you take your
place among the ranks of the blessed, and enter into the sweetness
of the Beatific Vision for ever and ever. Amen." (St. Peter
Damian, Doctor of the Church)

"He will not taste death forever who in his dying
moments has recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary." (Pope Pius
XI)

"Mary, Mother of pilgrim humanity, pray for
us 'now and at the hour of our death'. Keep us ever close to
Jesus, your beloved Son and our brother, the Lord of life and
glory." (Pope John Paul II, 1999)

"And
here Jesus teaches us how to die, for if He would have His Mother
with Him in the hour of His great surrender, then how shall we
dare to miss saying daily: 'Pray for us sinners, now, and at the
hour of our death. Amen.'?" (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)

"If the graces which we receive from the
treasury of redemption are distributed, so to speak, by the hands
of the sorrowful Virgin, no one can deny that the grace of a happy
death must come from Mary because, in fact, it is by means of this
pre-eminent grace that the work of redemption reaches its
fulfillment in every man. In the same way, the sorrowful Virgin
was constituted by Jesus Christ has the Mother of all men, and as
she has received them as a heritage from the infinite love of
Jesus, she assumed with maternal love the duty of watching over
their spiritual life - it is evident that she cannot do other than
help most devotedly her dearest adopted sons at the hour at which
it is necessary to secure them salvation and sanctity for all
eternity." (Pope Benedict XV)

"He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin."
(2 Macc. 12:43-46)

"Day and night I am pursued by the same
thought: One does not pray enough for the dead. Eighty thousand
people die in this nation [France] every day." (Bl. Eugenie
Smet)

"We must say many prayers for the souls of
the faithful departed, for one must be so pure to enter
heaven!" (St. John Vianney)

"Praying for the dead is an integral part
of our Christian life; it is one of the spiritual works of mercy.
Our prayer for the dead both honors their memory and expresses our
faithful love as we assist them to be purified of any temporal
punishment due to sin and to reach their final destiny and lasting
home with God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs us
about the importance of prayer for the dead: From the beginning
the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers
in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic Sacrifice, so
that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.
The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of
penance undertaken on behalf of the dead. (No. 1032) Prayer should
be encouraged for all the dead. Even though a person may have
lived a most exemplary life from all appearances, no one knows the
soul of the departed and the temptations which he or she may have
suffered in life. Often enough, as we know from the lives of the
saints, those who practice the greatest virtue also suffer the
greatest temptations. It is a grave injustice to the dead to say
that they do not need our prayers. Rather, we should continue to
express our love for the faithful departed by our prayers for
their eternal rest. (Cf. OCF, Nos. 6-7) The age-old custom of
making an offering so that Mass may be celebrated for the eternal
rest of the deceased is to be commended. The faithful who
participate in the wake should be encouraged to make Mass
offerings for the intention of the eternal rest of the deceased
brother or sister. Offerings which are given for Masses for the
deceased may not be used for any other purpose...In our time, for
whatever reason, fewer Mass offerings are received at the time of
death. The failure to have Masses offered for the dead is a
failure of love for the deceased person. There is no more
effective means to express our love and provide spiritual help for
those who have died than to have the Mass offered for the eternal
repose of their souls... November 2, the Commemoration of All the
Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), should be a special time to
participate in the Mass for the Dead, praying for the eternal rest
of one's deceased relatives, friends and fellow parishioners.
Participation in the Mass on the anniversary of death is also to
be encouraged. Prayers for the dead should be part of our daily
prayer. The custom of praying for the dead at the end of each
family meal is a most effective way of fulfilling our duty to pray
for the dead. As mentioned above, visits to the graves or tombs of
the dead to pray for their eternal rest should be a regular part
of our Christian life." (On the
Christian Burial of the Dead, Bishop Raymond L. Burke/ La
Crosse)

"So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 24:44)

"Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Our Lord
Jesus Christ, Mt. 26:41)

"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mk. 13:32-37)

"You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 12:40)

"Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you."
(Rv. 3:3)

"Do now - do now - what you'll wish you had
done when your moment comes to die." (St. Angela Merici)

"Every action of yours, every thought,
should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out." (Thomas a Kempis)

"Since we are travelers and pilgrims in the
world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is of our
life, for the end of our roadway is our home." (St. Columban)

Repent
before it is to late: "If they repent, all
who desire it will be able to obtain mercy from God." (St. Justin
the Martyr, c. 155 A.D.)

"The best way to prepare for death is to
spend every day of life as though it were the last. Think of the
end of worldly honor, wealth and pleasure and ask yourself: And
then? And then?" (St. Philip Neri)

"Thy end is near, O my soul! How comes it
thou art heedless? How is it, that thou art making no preparation?
Time presses; arise! The Judge is near, even at the very gate.
Life is passing away, as a dream" (Hymn of St. Andrew of
Crete)

[Daily
Prayer of Resignation: (to be said each day, even for healthy
persons):] "Most sweet Jesus I accept the death Thou
has destined for me; with all the pains that may accompany it; I
unite it to Thy death, I offer it to Thee. Thou hast died for love
of me, I will die for love of Thee and to please Thee."

"So let us also, while we are still in this
world, repent with our whole heart of the evil things we have done
in the flesh, that we may be saved by the Lord while we have the
time for repentance. For, after leaving the world, we cannot there
confess or repent any more." (Attr. to Clement I, c. 2nd
century A.D)

"For, to be brief, by repeating the same
prayers [of the Rosary] we strenuously implore from Our Heavenly
Father the Kingdom of His grace and glory; we again and again
beseech the Virgin Mother to aid us sinners by her prayers, both
during our whole life and especially at that last moment which is
the stepping-stone to eternity." (Pope Leo XIII, "Fidentem
Piumque Animum", 1896)

It
is necessary to repent: "When once you have departed this life, there is no
longer any place for repentance, no way of making satisfaction.
Here life is either lost or kept. Here, by the worship of God and
by the fruit of faith, provision is made for eternal salvation.
Let no one be kept back either by his sins or by his years from
coming to obtain salvation. To him who still remains in this world
there is no repentance that is too late." (St. Cyprian of
Carthage, 252 A.D.)

"Die we must: we have not only God's
infallible word for it, but no reasonable man could ever entertain
the thought that he was to be an exception to the rule. But if the
fact of our death be certain, the day on which we are to die is
also fixed. God, in His wisdom, has concealed the day from us; it
becomes our duty not to be taken by surprise. This very night, it
might be said to us, as it was to Ezechias: Take order with thy
house, for thou shalt die. We ought to spend each day as though it
were to be our last." (Gueranger)

"Since we know these things and are well
aware of that terrible day and of that fire, and have in mind
those terrible torments, let us turn aside at last from the path
on which we have strayed. For the hour will come when the theater
of this world will be dissolved, after which there will be no more
contending for the prize, no more exertions to be made after the
end of this life, no more crowns to be merited after the collapse
of this theater. This is the time for repentance, that the time of
judgment." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, 4th century A.D.)

"The whole life of a Christian ought to
be nothing else than a constant preparation for that tremendous
hour which will decide our eternal lot, and in which the devil
will assail us with the utmost effort of his fury; and our own
weakness in mind and body, the lively remembrance of our past
sins, and other alarming circumstances and difficulties, will make
us stand in need of the strongest assistance of divine grace and
the special patronage of her who is the protectress of all in
distress, particularly of her devout clients in their last and
most dangerous conflict." (Muller)

"Learn to die before you actually die, so
that when death does come it will not be a horror to you but the
gateway to life... Place Jesus' Passion and death between you and
your future judgment and with steadfast gaze look upon the
Crucified. If the devil tries to terrorize you, invoke the name of
Jesus and raise the standard of the holy Cross. If he counters by
narrating your many sins and past misdeeds, then respond by
reciting the infinite merits of Christ. Also remember the seven
words Jesus spoke from the Cross for your instruction... [W]hen
you are about to depart this world, you are not to be remiss in
voicing and frequently repeating the words of his final
commendation ('Father, into your hands I commend my spirit'). You will find at the end that there are none more
meaningful than these." (Thomas a Kempis)

"Can. 1203 § 1 The bodies of the faithful
departed shall be buried, their cremation being
reprobated. § 2 If
anyone by any manner orders that his body be cremated, it is
illicit to execute that desire; and if this was added to any
contract or testament or any other act it is considered as not
being added." (1917 Code of Canon Law)

[Note:
1983 Code of Canon Law: "Can. 1176 §3 The Church earnestly
recommends that the pious custom of burial be retained; but it
does not forbid cremation, unless this is chosen for reasons which
are contrary to Christian teaching."]

"Nothing is more certain than death,
nothing more uncertain that its hour." (St. Anselm of
Canterbury, Doctor of the Church)

"God has concealed from us the day of our
death, that we may spend all our days well." (St. Alphonsus
Liguori, Doctor of the Church)

"Still less should we try to know when we
will die and in what place; whether it will be in the country or
in the city; on horseback or at the foot of a mountain; or by some
stone crushing us; or whether we will die in bed assisted by
someone, or alone. What does it matter? Leave the care of it to
divine providence, which looks after even the birds in the
sky." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)

"Hope, O my soul, hope. You know neither
the day nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes
quickly, even though your impatience makes doubtful what is
certain, and turns a very short time into a long one. Dream that
the more you struggle, the more you prove the love that you bear
your God, and the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved,
in a happiness and rapture that can never end." (St. Teresa
of Avila, Doctor of the Church)

"Or else; unknown to the master the thief
breaks into the house, because while the spirit sleeps instead of
guarding itself; death comes unexpectedly, and breaks into the
dwelling place of our flesh. But he would resist the thief if he
were watching, because being on his guard against the coming of
the Judge, who secretly seizes his soul, he would by repentance go
to meet Him, lest he should perish impenitent. But the last hour
our Lord wishes to be unknown to us, in order as we cannot foresee
it, we may be unceasingly preparing for it." (St. Gregory of
Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church)

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